Devouring love

by Serafina Daniel

  Melody, stop that! I order myself.

  I should think about something else and not pity myself for being in this condition. So, I tried to remember how I met Merdian for the first time. It wasn't hard thing to do. I had been remembering that event so often during this two years. I was just holding at that memory so tightly, because I believed that if I forget it, I would never really awake.

  That day was cold and it snowed. It was winter. I was seven years old and he was ninth. He was sitting next to the window, holding a red box in his hand. It was a present to someone.

  I approached him slowly, wondering who was that boy, why was I with my parents at this huge house where were a lot of people. They all were wearing nice clothes and dancing in a huge room where a loud music was echoing. I was bored and left the room. I came to the second floor and studied all the rooms which were opened until I came inside the room where I found a boy. He didn't hear or maybe pretended not to hear that someone was with him in that room.

  I took some steps forward, studying that boy, until I reached the conclusion, that he was gorgeous.

  “Hi,” I said in a whisper. For some reason, I found myself scared at that moment, although I had never been a afraid of anything.

  He turned his eyes away from the window and let them touch my profile. His eyes were gorgeous as his face. He was a true angel, a true god.

  “Hello,” he said calmly.

  “I am Melody,” I extended my hand for him to shake.

  His eyes lowered to my hand and returned then back to my eyes. He extended his hand and touched mine. It was warm. I didn't want to let it go and how it seemed, he didn't wanted to do that, either. But in the end I pulled my hand and hid it behind my back.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, taking a seat next to him. I glanced through the window. It was dark outside, but many torches tried to fight against the darkness.

  “Waiting,” he said. I looked at him. He stared at me, trying to make a mental picture of me in his head. At that moment I didn't really understand what he was doing. After all, I was a kid. He was too, but older. Only now I knew he was thinking, considering his options with me. I knew perfectly that in the human world women were the ones who were smarter, but in the angels' world this position was in the hands of men.

  “For what?” my childish voice asked him.

  “I will tell you later,” he smiled and extended that red box toward me. I glanced at it. I didn't understand what he was doing. ”Take it,” he said. I frowned and shook my head.

  “My parents told me not to take anything from strangers,” I said and stood on my feet. I didn't want to leave that boy, but I had to come down and find my parents. After all, I hadn't seem them for at least a few hours. They maybe were searching for me.

  “I am not a stranger, Melody,” he said. ”We are friends now. So, I want to give you a present, Melody,” my name sounded strange when it came through his mouth, but at that moment I didn't realize that, but when I was remembering that scene now, I could perfectly understand that he was enjoying saying my name.

  “I should ask my parents,” I said automatically and ran to the door. The boy didn't chase me and I felt sad about that.

  I suddenly found myself standing in the doorway, wondering if I really should leave that boy, who was staring at me. His eyes were pleading for me not to leave him. But, for some reason, I wanted to find my parents. So, I left that god alone with that red box in his hand.

  I found my parents dancing. They hadn't even missed me. I didn't like that fact. I wanted them to be worried about me, but instead they were laughing, dancing, talking with other people. And when they finally noticed me, they just told me to find other kids and play with them. They didn't even ask me what I had done and how I felt. They just gave me an order which I fulfilled soon. That boy, Merdian soon was next to me, asking to follow him into the game room.

  There he tried to give me that box again and this time I accepted it. In it I found a teddy bear. A toy which I loved even now. A teddy bear which was against my face, but I couldn't feel it.

  Caspar

  I left my cabinet. I needed another cup of coffee, but before holding it in my hands, I needed to see that girl with my own eyes. I walked where her ward should be. I was really surprised to find a guardian next to the door. That girl really was important to the Spring family, because no one would put a mountain to keep a not moving girl in safety. And plus, this all hospital was full of hidden cameras. All first flour was full of security men walking in every direction. So, why the Spring had a man here? Was he afraid that someone could try to kidnap her?

  The man looked at me through small splits of his eyes. He didn't like to see me in front of him, asking to let me inside the room and see the patient. But in the end, he moved and I was inside.

  The first thing I noticed was that this room was sunken in the silence. Only computers from time to time broke it. And talking about the computers, there were so many of them, recording everything about her body's activity. Suddenly I felt sorry for that girl who was motionless.

  I walked closer to the bed too see her. Her hair was longer that it was in the picture, but not that was the saddest thing. Her face was bank. There wasn't any smile. She almost looked like a doll.

  I turned my eyes from her face to the first computer's screen. It was showing the heart's work. The curve was...not moving. It was in one line, proving that this girl was really sleeping. She was in a dream which didn't cause any emotions. In other words she was in a bubble which everyone tried to burst. Would I be able to do that? I didn't know.

  I looked at the other screen. This one was letting me glimpse at her brain activity, which also was ... not changing, proving that she was sleeping.

  Suddenly I remembered about sopor. I read that at first Mrs. Mathew thought it could be a sopor. It was the only explanation why one minute she was awake and other was sleeping. People who were in sopor could sleep for years. They could also not react at what was happening around them, but still, it was possible to wake them up. After all, we weren't living in middle ages anymore. We had many drugs, many computers, many techniques how to cure even a tumor.

  I sighed and looked back at the girl, wondering if she could hear sounds and if the answer was yes, how she felt being imprisoned in that body. Two years were a long period. Too long. Although everything was done to keep her body in good condition, it didn't mean that everything would be good with her mind. She could be a prison in her own body and when the time would come to let her free, would she be okay to adapt to this world, to understand it?

  I walked slowly to other side of the bed to check other screens and information which they were showing. There were data about her circle...I didn't need to know that. I quickly turned my eyes somewhere else. I felt how my cheeks blushed a little. After all, it was a bit weird for me to know that.

  My eyes now were staring at another screen which provided information about her temperature. It was normal. But I knew perfectly that it was not because her body produce enough warm for it, but it was done by drugs and other stuff.

  There were also other screens, but I decided that I had already had enough information about her.

  She was really a sick person who didn't have much chance to wake up one day. But still, her ... what? Her relatives? Boyfriend wanted to keep her alive, because it was too much for him to see her in a coffin?

  I started suddenly wonder what I would do if something like that would have happened to my brother. Would I do the same thing like Mr. Spring or I would face the fact that maybe it would be better to let him die?

  I shook my head. No, I didn't want even to consider that option. I didn't want to lose my brother although our relationship wasn't perfect, but still, I couldn't live without him.

  I glanced at the girl. She was still laying on the bed without proving that she was really alive. This girl, Melody, seemed so vulnerable. I soon found myself wanting to be one of her protectors, but I still doubted if I cou
ld really help her.

  “Miss Melody, I am Mr. Offman. I don't know if you could hear me, but I still want to inform you that I am...” and there was my decision,” your new doctor. I will try to help you, but without your endeavour it will be really hard. Therefore, I ask you to help me to help you.”

  That was all what could I do.

  I nodded to myself and strode out from the room. I had a lot of work waiting for me in my own, new cabinet. I needed to find what kind of other patients did the dead doctor had. Maybe soon a new person would come to introduce himself to me. For that reason I should be ready. After all, I was paid to know everything.

  I didn't even glance at the guardian when I passed him, although I felt his gaze on me, warning about something. He knew something what I didn't know, but my head was too full of work even to notice that warning.

  “Doctor,” I heard a woman's voice behind my back. I stopped, thinking that someone was talking with me, but that woman was addressing to other doctor who was not far away from me. I knew him. After all, we both worked on the same floor. That man was quite old, with thick glasses on his nose, creating an expression that he was really smart person. Maybe he was, but I didn't know that. I only heard some rumors that he was not as nice as it could appear to our clients.

  The man stopped and looked at the woman who was wearing an expensive black dress. On her fingers I noticed many rings with diamonds. She was one of his clients.

  I turned my eyes away and started moving forward, glancing at my hands for some reason. It was quite strange to accept that kind of case when a good specialist couldn't solve. But I hoped, that maybe I would be able to help that girl. I really wasn't eager to use all this situation to get more money, but... it would be really on the purpose.

  I entered to my cabinet. It wasn't empty for my sick luck. I saw a woman, waiting for me. How I could guess, she was my new patient who came here to meet her new doctor. For some reason, this day seemed for me one of those long days when the clock arrows move 'super' quickly.

  “Good day,” I said politely and took a seat in front of that woman. She greeted my with a huge smile. To be honest, she looked ugly. There wasn't any doubt that she used plastic surgeries more that she should have.

  “Good day, Mr. Offman,” she said in a strange voice. It almost sounded like she would try to flirt with me.

  Dammit. Why did every old woman, who had a good position in society, tried to bring a young man to her bed?

  “I am Mrs. Katherine Hudson,” she introduced herself.

  I nodded, like I had a perfect clue who she was, but the truth was, that I didn't. She was one of Mrs. Mathew old patients with whom I would have to deal.

  “It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Katherine Hudson. How could I help you?” I asked, glancing at my mountain of files. Somewhere should be a file about her, explaining me what kind of problems she had.

  “I know that you have met Mr. Spring in the morning,” she started, forcing my eyes to take a better look at her. ”I also know what he wanted from you. Miss Melody Watts is a really important girl. At least for Merdian. He loves her and that doesn't let him understand that she will never leave that bed.”

  She slowly turned her head to her right and took a deep breath, trying to pretend that all that problem with that girl was a really importing thing for her.

  “What are you trying to tell me?” I asked her.

  “Everyone has already faced the fact that she won't ever wake up and it is pointless to... Let her live in that...body. I am asking you,” she turned her eyes at me, meeting my gaze, ”to convince The Spring family to let her die. It will be only for the best.”

  She wasn't my patient, that was clear. She was only a woman who tried to... what? To persuade me that the girl I had seen before, had to die. I didn't believe she could awake either, but I wasn't eager to tell that to the Spring men. That Meridian seemed really stubborn not to let remove all those wires from the girl.

  “I can only imagine what kind of things you had to experience, but I am not that person to whom you should speak. I only do what I was told to do. Maybe you should speak with...”

  “I tried. Mr. Spring doesn't agree, because his son refuses to listen to him, and because of that, he is forced to...connive.”

  Her fingers slowly snaked to her neck where a really expensive necklace was lying. I didn't know what I should or could tell to this woman. This topic was really not the topic I would like to discuss. After all, that patient was new to me and I needed at least a few days to understand all this situation and how I could help that girl if it was possible, of course.

  “My apologies, but I am not able to do what you ask me to do. Miss. Melody is my new patient and I am determined to help her.”

  She narrowed her eyes. She wasn't pleased hearing my answer and I wondered why. After all, I was trying to give her hope that maybe not everything was lost. That maybe a miracle would happen and Melody would open her eyes.

  “You can't tell things like that,” she snapped. ”Melody is dead to everyone except Meridian. He believes she will come back to him. But that is a lie he is feeding himself. She won't do that. She is dead. Try him to force to understand that.”

  She stood up and quickly walked out from my cabinet, leaving me stunned. What had just happened here? Why was she so furious suddenly?

  I shook my head like that could help me to forget this accident, but it didn't. I was so puzzled right now. What I could really understand, that this Melody was a pain in many humans' lives.

  Melody

  I heard the door opening again, but this time steps were different. I couldn't understand if it was a woman or a man. I just knew that this was a human. He was slowly approaching to my bed. He didn't say anything, just stood there, not far away from me. I heard how his clothes created sounds when he moved.

  I imagined him looking at the screens, trying to understand something from all those numbers. After all, most of people who came here did that. They didn't talk with me, because they knew I won't answer, but that didn't mean I didn't want to hear their voices. It was so depressing to be here alone, hearing only my own thoughts. Suddenly he started to speak. For my surprise, it was a man. He was introducing himself. It seemed that he was my new doctor. Really? So where did my previous doctor disappear?

  It was nice to hear a new voice and sad at the same time, because I knew that I won't ever be able to say a word to that person who was with me in the same room now.

  He lingered a little and walked out from the room, leaving me alone. I wanted to scream to him not to go. I was eager to hear more of his words, to forget that I was left here to be only with my own demons.

  I was so cold suddenly. That darkness which was my friend and enemy, was teasing me. It knew that I would be able to feel only coldness, although the world around me was warm.

  Warm...

  Caspar

  Warm, I thought when I entered into my apartment. The night was cold and I had to stay longer in my cabinet, reading all those files, that I was intending to. But at least I won't be busy so much tomorrow...I checked my clock on the wall.

  I collapsed on my bed, trying to figure out what I really should tell Mr. Spring and his son when they would come. That woman managed to plant a doubt in my head which bothered me all day long. I wasn't sure anymore if I really should accept to be that girl's doctor.

  But still, seeing her in that bed...she was so pretty...

  I closed my eyes, but after some minutes I was forced to opened them. I heard my telephone ringing. Somehow I stood up, walked, took it and opened my mouth.

  “Hello,” I said yawning.

  “I hope you didn't sleep,” I heard my brother's laugh. Yes, he always knew when he should call me.

  “What do you want?” I asked politely, although I should yell at him, telling that he should stop calling me so late. After all, I wanted to be in my bed, sleeping, dreaming...

  “Guess?” he teased me.

  “I would rather not,
” I said honestly. My mouth opened to make one long yawn.

  “Who is in a bad mood?” he really didn't understand how he should talk with his elder brother. After all, he lived in a nice house only because I had a good job in this stupid society.

  “I will have a busy day, so I need to sleep. Tell me what you need,” I said in a serious tone.

  “Oh,” I imagined him rolling his eyes, but I didn't care.” I just wanted to tell you that I was accepted to do my practice.”

  “Really? Where?” I asked, although I didn't care. He still won't be as good as I was in the medicine. He just studied that because I made sure he could enroll to those studies and could have some kind of profession.

  “I will give you a hint. My brother works there,” he said, trying to kill a laugh in him.

  “You are joking,” I said, collapsing on the ground. “Why am hearing that from you?”

  I imagined him shrugging.

  “I don't know. Maybe you didn't notice a document telling you that your little brother will be your assistant,” he guessed. He was telling the truth. I didn't notice anything informing me about his two week being with me in one building. Maybe I was too tired to read other documents on my table which weren't about my new patients.

  “When will you start?” I asked, feeling so tired, so stupid.

  “I don't know. Mr. Offman didn't confirm if he agrees to supervise his little brother,” now I heard anger in his voice. That was the main reason he was calling to me; he wanted to find out why I was delaying to sign the documents.

  “I will sign it tomorrow...today, I mean. Is that all?” I asked, closing my eyes.

  “For now,” he said and ended the call.

  He was mad. I could tell that. But I really didn't notice any documents or maybe I didn't want to see anything after spending hours reading about people I didn't know. One way or another, I would try to find that stupid paper and put my name on it in order to let my brother come and see how hard I work.

  I walked back to my room, put my head on the pillow... and fell into sleep.